CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER 169: PARTNERSHIP

168 Partnership

At this moment, Pei Yuanqing and Sir Feng had already bid farewell to Zhao Dong and boarded the horse carriage. As the horses neighed, the carriage slowly moved away.

In the hearts of Zhao Zhitong and Qiao Muchen, a shared goal had formed: to study hard and travel to the capital for the imperial examination.

Once the distinguished guests had departed, most of the attendees at the Housewarming Banquet had also left.

Only the Village Chief’s daughter-in-law, Zhang Qiang’s wife, Shi Tou’s wife, and a few other women close to the family remained, staying behind to help Sun Mei clear the tableware.

Being country folk, they had eaten to their heart’s content, so there was hardly any food left on the tables. Almost every dish had been wiped clean, which made tidying up easier for them.

After they finished cleaning, the catering staff loaded all the tables, chairs, and benches onto their cart.

By the time they saw off the catering staff, it was already late Shen time.

As evening fell, Zhao Dong arranged another small table at his home. He personally went to invite Shi Tou, Zhao Leizi—the Village Chief’s eldest son—Zhang Qiang, Butcher Zhao, and a few other close village friends, along with his wife’s two brothers, Eldest Uncle and Uncle Sun Youli.

Upon arriving at the Zhao family home, the group of men was intrigued.

Shi Tou asked in confusion, "I say, Brother Dong, didn’t we just have the Housewarming Banquet? Why have you invited us for another meal so soon?"

Uncle Sun Youli also nodded repeatedly. "Yes, son-in-law, money doesn’t grow on trees. We should be frugal; the days ahead are long."

Zhao Dong just smiled warmly and gestured for them to be seated. "Everyone, please sit. Take a seat."

After they had all sat down, Zhao Dong spoke again. "Back when I was down on my luck, you brothers didn’t look down on me; instead, you supported me in every way. I, Zhao Dong, am a person who clearly distinguishes between grievances and gratitude. I always remember those who have been good to me."

Shi Tou and the others immediately waved their hands. "Hey, Brother Dong, what’s with you today? We’re staunch brothers! When we were facing hard times, you didn’t despise us. How could we possibly ignore you? Brothers are meant for mutual support, right?"

Zhao Dong grinned and raised his wine cup. "That’s right. Brothers must support each other. Allow me to toast you all first, to thank you for your support."

Shi Tou and the others were moved by Zhao Dong’s words. They clinked their cups and drank heartily.

Zhang Qiang even thumped his chest loudly, declaring, "Brother Dong! You are my brother for life. I might be a bit slow-witted, but I know who’s good and who’s bad. Brothers should be willing to go through fire and water for each other. If you ever need my help in the future, just say the word, and I’ll be there in a flash!"

The others voiced their agreement.

Zhao Dong placed his wine cup on the table and laughed heartily. "True brothers! So, now that I’ve overcome my difficulties and life is getting better, how can I neglect my brothers? Therefore, I’m planning to lead everyone to make money and prosper! I just don’t know if you’re willing to join me."

The men at the table were all stunned for a moment, looking at Zhao Dong. After a short pause, they all started chattering eagerly.

"Brother Dong, I knew you wouldn’t leave us brothers behind!"

"Brother Dong, I trust you! Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it!"

"Yes, exactly! We’re all willing to follow you!"

...

At this point, Zhao Dong didn’t rush to explain his plan. Instead, he pointed to a plate of pork on the table and said, "Here, try this first."

Everyone was puzzled but picked up their chopsticks and tasted a piece of the meat.

After chewing and swallowing his piece, Zhang Qiang looked at Zhao Dong. "I say, Brother Dong, stop playing riddles with us. What’s your plan? Hurry up and tell us."

"Yes, yes, I’m getting impatient."

...

Zhao Dong chuckled and asked in return, "Did you not taste anything different about this meat?"

This question left the several burly men at the table momentarily speechless; they exchanged confused glances.

"Uh, what’s different? It just... tastes very good."

"Son-in-law, you aren’t trying to show off my younger sister’s cooking skills, are you? We all know my younger sister is a great cook, haha."

"Exactly, we all know."

...

Zhao Dong helplessly touched his forehead. None of these rough men are very observant. So, he pointed it out, "Then try the pork from this other plate."

This time, Butcher Zhao, who had eaten the most pork, recognized the difference immediately. "Hmm, it’s different, very different. This pork is the kind I usually sell. But this first one?"

He looked at Zhao Dong in amazement. As a butcher, he was extremely sensitive to meat. The first plate of pork was undoubtedly top-grade!

Zhao Dong laughed. "Just as expected of Butcher Zhao! That’s right. One plate of this pork is rich and tender, while the other has a strong, gamey taste!"

The other rugged men nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, exactly! The first plate is delicious; the second one isn’t as good."

Zhao Dong nodded. "That’s it. I have a method for raising pigs that makes them plump and strong. Moreover, the meat is fresh and delicious, completely free of any gamey odor. So, I’ve called you here today because I want to bring you all together to raise pigs. We’ll join forces and establish a Pig-Raising Village, then sell the whole pigs to large restaurants."

Here, Zhao Dong paused before continuing, "You don’t need to worry about sales; I have connections. When the time comes, you can sell the whole pigs to me, and I’ll contact the restaurants to purchase them. I guarantee you won’t lose money."

At this, the burly men stared wide-eyed.

They trusted Zhao Dong greatly, independent of the final reassurances he provided.

With the exception of a few who hesitated, most agreed to partner with Zhao Dong.

Those who hesitated were mainly worried that the pig-raising method might be leaked or that Zhao Dong might end up losing money.

Zhao Dong smiled. "Don’t worry. As long as we unite and work together to build a good reputation for our Pig-Raising Village, we won’t have to worry even if others learn our method. If our pork is guaranteed to be high quality, the big restaurants will still choose us."

After Zhao Dong’s detailed explanation, everyone at the table nodded in agreement.

"Alright! I’m in! I’m willing to work with Brother Dong!"

"I’m in too!"

...

After a long and fruitful discussion, everyone agreed to invest. Butcher Zhao, in particular, already had experience raising pigs and knew that this type of pig, if raised properly, would certainly bring in a lot of money.

Once the meal concluded, they all returned to their homes in high spirits.

Thinking about Zhao Dong’s words, they lay in bed unable to sleep. One by one, they sat up, took out their household savings, and began calculating how many pigs they could afford to buy.

Their wives were startled, repeatedly asking what they were up to.

When they heard the news from their husbands, they were filled with a mixture of surprise, elation, and apprehension.

They were thrilled at the prospect of getting rich but also worried about spending all their savings on pigs. They feared they wouldn’t make a profit. Moreover, with the New Year approaching, they didn’t know how they would celebrate without any money.

At this time, Shi Tou’s wife, Mrs. Sun, was incredibly worried, "It’s not that I don’t trust Brother Dong. I’m just thinking, with the New Year just around the corner and our family not having much money as it is, perhaps we should buy fewer pigs to start with. We need to keep some money for the New Year celebration."